OVO Sound is a label founded by Drake, Noah "40" Shebib, and Oliver El-Khatib in 2012. The label consists of Drake and in-house producers 40, Boi-1da, T-Minus, Mike Zombie. PartyNextDoor, Majid Jordan, ILoveMakonnen and OB O'Brien are also affiliated with the crew.
Today we're comparing 40 and Boi-1da. Not because we have to decide if one is better than the other, but because we're hip hop nerds who are always thinking critically about one of the dopest art forms to come out of America. Period.
Noah "40" Shebib is known for creating the atmospheric beats on a lot of Drake's work, particularly his early work. He's also worked with Nas, A$AP Rocky and Beyoncé. Boi-1da came up around the same time and has been making massive waves not only with Drizzy, but with Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne and Bun B also.
They both make fire beats, so we're taking a look at some of them today. Why not? Let us know in the comments who you think is the doper producer, and after you run through some of their key productions up top, cast your vote below.
Drake - Marvins Room [Prod. 40]
"Marvins Room" will have even the toughest of dudes getting all emotional when they listen to it. A lot of the emotion this song conveys is from 40's beat, which is a minimalistic, ambient and melodic backdrop for Drake's singing and rhyming.
Kendrick Lamar - Blacker The Berry [Prod. Boi-1da]
Kendrick's controversial new single doesn't sound like anything else in rap music right now, nor is it the "typical" sound for Boi-1da, proving his versatility. The eerie production on this one is top notch and Lamar absolutely murdered it.
Drake - Underground Kings [Prod. 40 & T-Minus]
Proving 40 can be involved in a more energetic beat, "Underground Kings" was Drake's ode to the great UGK duo. The guitar-lead, high hat-driven beat is an absolute masterpiece.
Drake - 6 God [Prod. Boi-1da & Syk Sense]
"6 God" wasn't a new track when If You're Reading This came out. We had already had some time to digest this banger, but it's still as potent as it was when we first heard it months ago.
Drake featuring Jay Z - Light Up [Prod. 40 & Tone Mason]
"Light Up" was kind of a grimy beat, almost as much of a Wu-Tang instrumental as anything that resembles "Wu-Tang Forever." Drake and Jay Z did the instrumental mad justice, and it turned out to be one of the best tracks on Drake's debut Thank Me Later.
Drake - 0 to 100 / The Catch Up [Prod. Boi-1da, Frank Dukes & Vinylz]
There's no telling if "0 to 100 / The Catch Up" will be featured on an official full-length project, but it is quite the jam at any rate. A two-part masterpiece, this Toronto rap cut still has wheels for days it seems.
Drake - Started From The Bottom [Prod. 40 & Mike Zombie]
One of Drake's biggest beats pretty much incited an entire trend in rap music. Everyone has hopped on an instrumental of this style, and DJ Mustard certainly took it up a notch with his beats. At any rate, this seems to be the trend-setter on that one.
Drake featuring Jay Z - Poundcake [Prod. Boi-1da]
Drake and Jay Z link up for an epic cut off Nothing Was The Same. Produced by Boi-1da, the two-part cut is one of the most atmospheric Drake songs out there that doesn't just contain singing. Jay Z does it thing on it too, of course.
Drake - You & the 6 [Prod. Boi-1da, 40 & Illmind]
The most heartfelt track on Drake's newest mixtape was "You & the 6." An open letter to his mother, the track posted some of the most heartfelt lyrics we've heard, and Drake is a dude who always wears his heart on his sleeve. The production on this collaborative effort was flawless too, from the synths all the way down to the drums.
Drake - Headlines [Prod. Boi-1da & 40]
Any song that has you rappin' in a Major League Baseball stadium is a pretty big tune. Our two subjects collaborated and knocked this one out of the ballpark.
